When I go to brew an instance of "Generic Stout" from the recipe database, what i'd like is a new window to open with brew day features. In addition to all those timers I mentioned elsewhere, I'd like:

1) Snapshot of the recipe actually brewed- if I later alter Generic Stout in the recipe database, this one stays constant and shows something like "Generic Stout, brewed 2/2/11".

2) Notes on the brew results. Turns out I'm getting better at lautering (or something) and my preboil gravity was pretty high. I want to record that my OG was 8 points off the recipe. Bonus points if this helps you calculate your brewhouse efficiency.

3) Similarly- I can measure the runnings from my lauter and sparges (I default to double batch sparging, for whatever reason) and get a better handle on dead space and grain absorption.

4) Packaging and tasting notes. I want a drink database so I can go back through my notes over multiple re-brews of the same recipe. Right now, that "database" is a notebook with "my beer" written on the cover. It tends to get a lot of crap spilled on it, so I was hoping I could move to a computer version.

Bonus points if you add in some printer templates for printing labels and stuff. I just use a word template for Avery labels - mostly I print on those little round garage sale pricetags and stick them on the bottle caps. Saves trouble of cleaning off labels.

pfooti wrote:2) Notes on the brew results. Turns out I'm getting better at lautering (or something) and my preboil gravity was pretty high. I want to record that my OG was 8 points off the recipe. Bonus points if this helps you calculate your brewhouse efficiency.

Entering the higher actual OG reading under the Analysis tab will record the OG reading in the main recipe window and change the Mash Efficiency value appropriately.

pfooti wrote:2) Notes on the brew results. Turns out I'm getting better at lautering (or something) and my preboil gravity was pretty high. I want to record that my OG was 8 points off the recipe. Bonus points if this helps you calculate your brewhouse efficiency.

Entering the higher actual OG reading under the Analysis tab will record the OG reading in the main recipe window and change the Mash Efficiency value appropriately.

That's definitely part of what I wanted- thanks for the tip. The bigger issue though (at least in my mind) is a place for me to say, "when I brewed this on 2/1/11, this happened, and when I brewed it on 2/14/11 this other thing happened, and so on". I can put that information in the Notes, but there doesn't seem to be any logic for creating multiple instances of a certain recipe. If I re-brew a recipe, I need to duplicate it and add it back as a whole new recipe entry, when what it really is is an instantiation.

Of course, I do all this in my paper-and-pencil notebook anyway (the one that says "Beer" on the cover), but I'm trying to be more digital, as my computer is backed up regularly and I regularly misplace my beer notebook.